There are always some workers who either don’t know their entitlements when they fall sick or have suffered an injury, or are too afraid to file a claim. However, the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks if you qualify for disability benefits. The top 3 advantages of qualifying for SSDI are: (1) increased monthly income, (2) vocational rehabilitation (3) Medicare coverage.
Increased Monthly Income
If you have sufficient work credits and you qualify for Social Security disability benefits the amount you are entitled to changes over time. SSD benefits increase whenever cost of living adjustments (COLA) are revised. If you are entitled to long-term disability benefits, a disability pension from your employer or through your own insurance cover, you may find the payments aren’t adjusted to account for an increase in the cost of living.
So, if you are awarded $1,000 per month today, in 10 years time that amount will not change. However, one of the disability benefits’ advantages is that it increases when Social Security cost-of-living adjustments are made so your monthly income will increase for the time you receive disability benefits whether in the short or long term. This means when the Consumer Price Index rises by a named percentage Social Security benefits will go up by the same amount.
Vocational Rehabilitation
When the Social Security Administration (SSA) approves a Social Security disability benefit application an assessment is made of the chances that the person's medical condition will improve. If the individuals condition improves when taking part in a suitable vocational rehabilitation program leading to the person being able to support him/herself, the SSD benefits awarded may continue until the rehabilitation program comes to an end.
If the person is unlikely to improve, s/he will be asked to take part in a trial work period. There will be no restriction on earnings for 9 months. When this period has been reached a grace period of 3 months is permitted, when the person may continue to work, while his or her case is assessed. If the assessment results in the person being still disabled, s/he can receive a social security disability monthly check if there's any month during the next three years when the person earns less than $1,260 from work.
Medicare Coverage
Getting financial help when disabled is not that easy. The majority of employers only offer COBRA protection for employees who have become disabled at work. COBRA allows the employee to purchase 18 months of health coverage when exiting a company. However, if a person is eligible for social security disability benefits during the first 18 months of COBRA cover, an extra 11 months of COBRA can be bought. This means getting social security disability benefits can provide a person with health care cover for up to 29 months after a disability has taken place. When the COBRA eventually runs out then a disabled person of any age is eligible for Medicare. This is in two parts while part A includes hospital benefits, part B includes medical benefits.
Get a Free Case Evaluation
When qualifying for SSDI there are many disability benefit advantages, so you should consider completing a free case evaluation to learn if you qualify for SSDI.
Additional Resources
- What is SSDI
- Qualify for SSDI Benefits
- Difference Between SSI and SSDI
- When Do I Become Eligible for Social Security Disability Benefits?
Add new comment